Chicken Cooked in Clay (Beggars Chicken)

Chicken Cooked in Clay (Beggar’s Chicken) I’ve spent 25% of my life living in China. When I first got there over 10 years ago I was taken out to dinner and this is the dish we were served (Beggar’s Chicken). The clay covered chicken arrived on a cart and they let me go up and crack it open with a hammer. It completely blew my mind and I remember absolutely loving it. It’s funny though, that was the first and last time I ever ate it while living there and I had forgotten about the experience until recently. Where did Beggar’s Chicken come from? There’s a few different stories but this is generally how the story goes. Thousands of years ago a beggar was able to get his hands on a chicken but lacked any pots, pans or utensils. So he covered it up in some clay and cooked it in a fire. Is it practical? Wrapping the chicken so many times prevents steam from escaping and the lotus leaves make a dramatic difference in flavor. You could certainly achieve similar results with modern day eq